Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

Arab youths dissatisfied with the present are looking longingly to the past, and Islam's glory days. That, and a dearth of opportunities, says Jordanian politician Rula Alhroob, make ISIS attractive.

The self-styled Islamic State has made a practice of public beheadings and other horrific acts of violence. It's taking a huge toll on Iraqis, only a fraction of whom are getting the help they need.

From a nearby mountain, Kurdish forces can see look down into the strategic city. An Iraqi-led assault on the city is planned, but for now the frustrated men hold their territory and train.

With the Islamic State pushed back, Iraq's Yazidis are returning to their villages — and to mass graves. Now, they guard the remains and are calling on the U.N. to document the killings.

Looking to take back a city with strategic and symbolic value, the Iraqi military is preparing to launch an offensive against the self-proclaimed Islamic State, a U.S. military official says.

The small hamlet of el-Aour is reeling from the massacre of 13 of its men in Libya, where they worked. A lack of jobs in Egypt means laborers still head to neighboring Libya, despite the danger.

The remote town of Snuny was recently liberated from ISIS. But aside from Kurdish and Yazidi militia men, very few people have ventured back. There are no services, and the ISIS threat is still real.

Led by a celebrated Yazidi fighter, a small band of Kurdish peshmerga survived a months-long ISIS onslaught. Unlike others in Syria and Iraq, this sacred place still stands, nearly unscathed.